âYou do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.â Franz Kafka

The other stuff is being on the path, in addition to meditating. You can get there through meditation, but it is easier if you also follow the path.

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âYou do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.â Franz Kafka

Understanding the words, as written sutra, is one thing and a good one. However, understanding the meaning behind those words isn't always that clear. Having a teacher, who understands the meaning can help immessurably. However, whether you have a teacher or not, meditation is essential to gaining a complete understanding of the meaning behind the sutras.

Understanding the words, as written sutra, is one thing and a good one. However, understanding the meaning behind those words isn't always that clear. Having a teacher, who understands the meaning can help immessurably. However, whether you have a teacher or not, meditation is essential to gaining a complete understanding of the meaning behind the sutras.

First you listen/read. Then you contemplate. Finally, you meditate.

That help?

I am in the empty state of mind: Nothing has any meaning to me. To me meaning is something that existence is empty without it. I however cannot explain how existence look like with meaning. I contemplated very much but no result yet. Perhaps I will meditate in future.

The path to enlightenment and the freedom from suffering. Accomplished through wisdom and Bodhicitta. But to many it comes with knowledge and ability to relieve suffering of others bogged down in the cycle of Samsara. Meditation is great for mind training initially, and then in following the path to enlightenment. (Dalai Lama has book by same title.)

Its worth remembering that the core teachings of the historical Buddha are :

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The Four Noble Truths

In order to help people realise that the normal understanding of life is inadequate, he Buddha talked about âdukkhaâ, translated as dissatisfaction or unsatisfactoriness. He often summarised his teaching as the Truth about âdukkhaâ, its origin, its ending, and the path to its ending. These core teachings, to be measured against one's experience and used for guidance, are known as the Four Noble Truths.

The First Noble Truth: There is dukkha

Life as we normally know it must always have a proportion of disagreeable experiences - sickness, pain and distress are obvious examples. Even in relatively affluent societies people suffer from anxiety, stress or a loss of purpose; or they feel incapable of dealing with life's challenges. Moreover, agreeable experiences are limited and transient for instance, 'dukkha' can be brought on by the loss of a loved one, or being badly let down by a friend. What also becomes apparent is that these feelings cannot be relieved for long by our usual responses, such as seeking pleasure, greater success or a different relationship. This is because 'dukkha' stems from an inner need. You could call it a longing of the heart - for understanding, peace and harmony. Because it's an inner or spiritual need, no matter how we try to alleviate such feelings by adding something pleasant to our life, it never quite succeeds. As long as we are motivated to seek fulfilment in what is transient and vulnerable and it doesn't take much introspection to recognise how vulnerable our bodies and feelings are - we will always suffer disappointment and a sense of loss.

"Being associated with what you do not like is dukkha, being separated from what you like is dukkha, not getting what you want is dukkha. In brief, the compulsive habits of body and mind are dukkha."

The Second Noble Truth: There is an origin to 'dukkha'

The Buddha's experience was that this wrong motivation was in essence the origin of dissatisfaction. How is this? By always seeking fulfilment in what is transient, we miss out on what life could be offering if we were more attentive and spiritually attuned. Not using (through not knowing) our spiritual potential, we are motivated by feelings and moods. However, when mindfulness reveals that this is a habit rather than our true nature, we realise that we can change it.

The Third Noble Truth: 'Dukkha' can stop

Once we've understood the Second Truth, the Third follows on, if we're capable of âletting goâ of our conscious and unconscious self-centred habits. When we are no longer defensive or aggressive, whenever we respond to life without prejudice or fixed views, the mind rests in an inner harmony. The habits and viewpoints that make life appear hostile or inadequate are checked.

The Fourth Noble Truth: There is a Way to stop 'dukkha'

This involves the practical guidelines for bringing a spiritual focus to bear on life as we are living it. We can't 'let go' until we become capable of that through cultivation of our spiritual nature. But if there is proper cultivation, the mind will naturally, incline towards Nibbana. All that is needed is the wisdom to know that there is a way and the means to accomplish that way.

The 'Way' is defined as the Noble Eightfold Path. The 'wheel' symbol that is often used in Buddhist iconography is a depiction of this Eightfold Path in which each factor supports and is supported by all the others. Buddhist practice consists of cultivating these factors: Right View, Right Intention, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness and Right Concentration.

The 'Right-ness' of them is that they entail living in accordance with virtue, meditation and wisdom rather than from any self-centred position. Such a Way is therefore 'Right' for others as well as oneself.

May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.May they all be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.May they never be deprived of true happiness devoid of any suffering.May they abide in great impartiality, free from attachment to loved ones and aversion to others.

IdleChater is right. Meditation by itself can work, but the path helps direct meditation so that it works in the best possible way. Either is good, but together they are more likely to bring about the kind of changes we need.

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âYou do not need to leave your room. Remain sitting at your table and listen. Do not even listen, simply wait, be quiet, still and solitary. The world will freely offer itself to you to be unmasked, it has no choice, it will roll in ecstasy at your feet.â Franz Kafka

I wonder if you could clarify if you meant "medication" or "meditation" in your first post, please bahman?

_/|\_

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May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.May they all be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.May they never be deprived of true happiness devoid of any suffering.May they abide in great impartiality, free from attachment to loved ones and aversion to others.